thebanglesfandomcom-20200214-history
Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Lee Hoffs (born January 17, 1959) is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles, and is often misidentifed as the "lead singer." Early life Hoffs was born on the Westside of Los Angeles, California to filmmaker Tamar Simon Hoffs and Joshua Hoffs, a psychoanalyst. Her mother would often play Beatles music for her while she was a child. Susanna attended Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. In 1980, she graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor degree in Art. When she entered Berkeley she was a fan of Classic Rock bands that played in large stadiums. While a student at Berkeley she attended the final Sex Pistols show at Winterland and a Patti Smith concert. Exposure to punk rock changed her career goal from dancer to musician in a band. She eventually joined Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson in what would later become the pop music group The Bangles. Career with The Bangles The Bangles' first recorded release was a self-titled EP in 1982 on the Faulty Products Label. The Bangles released their first full album All Over the Place in 1984 on Columbia Records. They had a moderate hit with the single "Hero Takes a Fall", but their commercial breakthrough came with the album Different Light in 1986, which produced the hit singles "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian". In 1986, Susanna Hoffs co-wrote the song "I Need a Disguise" for the album Belinda for Belinda Carlisle, formerly of the all-girl group The Go-Go's. With increasing fame, Hoffs also appeared on the covers of numerous magazines, and the Rickenbacker guitar company issued a Susanna Hoffs model of the 350 (which she customized herself). The Bangles released their third album Everything in 1988, with their biggest-selling single "Eternal Flame", which was co-written and sung by Hoffs. The Bangles disbanded in 1990. In the late 1990s, Hoffs contacted the other members of The Bangles with the hope of reuniting. They recorded the single "Get the Girl" for the second Austin Powers movie in 1999. Subsequently, they announced their decision to reunite full-time in 2000. Their fourth album, Doll Revolution, was released in 2003. The Bangles returned to the studio in spring of 2009 to begin work on a new album. During an interview with Music Geek Media in May 2009 Debbi Peterson indicated that the album was in the early stages of production. The album, Sweetheart of the Sun, was released September 27, 2011. Solo career Hoffs released a solo album, When You're a Boy, in 1991, which was not the commercial success that many people had imagined, although it did spawn a U.S Top 40 hit with "My Side of the Bed." In the UK the single landed at #44, for only 4 weeks on chart, and the album also landed decently in Europe. Hoffs recorded another album during 1993/1994, prior to leaving Columbia Records, but it went unreleased. In 1996, Hoffs released her second solo album, Susanna Hoffs. Although it received much praise in the media and yielded a minor US hit and a UK hit at #33 for 2 weeks with a cover of the Lightning Seeds single "All I Want", but still it was not a big commercial success. Sid n Susie In 2006, Hoffs teamed up with fellow Ming Tea rocker Matthew Sweet, and under the name "Sid n Susie" they recorded fifteen cover versions of classic rock songs from the 1960s and 1970s for an album titled Under the Covers, Vol. 1. The album was released in April 2006. On July 18, they appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien to promote the album and tour. The duo released another album Under the Covers, Vol. 2 on July 21, 2009, which included covers of songs by Fleetwood Mac, Carly Simon, Rod Stewart and more. Film career In 1987, Hoffs starred in the film The Allnighter, which was directed by her mother Tamar Simon Hoffs, and also featured Joan Cusack and Pam Grier. Hoffs appeared in the first Austin Powers movie as a member of the fictitious 1960s rock group Ming Tea, fronted by the title character. In real life, Ming Tea consisted of actor Mike Myers, Hoffs, Canadian musician/producer Christopher Ward, and singer Matthew Sweet. This group made a number of television performances (with Myers in character as Powers) and had a minor hit with the song "BBC". Hoffs returned with the group in the second and third Austin Powers films. Hoffs also did a cover of "The Look of Love" for the soundtrack of the first Austin Powers movie and a cover of the song "Alfie" for the soundtrack of the third film. Personal life In 1993, she married Jay Roach, the director of the Austin Powers movies and Meet the Parents, and producer of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. She has two sons.